St John the Baptist Is Preparing the Way of Accessibility: On Behalf of All Pilot Parish Feature

St John the Baptist Is Preparing the Way of Accessibility: On Behalf of All Pilot Parish Feature

From Family Matters by Pres. Kerry Pappas, Pres. Melanie DiStefano, and Ancient Faith Ministries

January 28, 2026

About this episode

Abby Vlahos discusses the efforts of St John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in making divine liturgy accessible for children with disabilities.

Abby Vlahos is the co-liaison for the On Behalf of All (OBOA) initiative's pilot parish, St John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plaines, Illinois. Her youngest child, Cosmas, is 9 years old and was born with a rare genetic syndrome causing a range of disabilities including intellectual disabilities and autism. She supports disability advocacy and ministry efforts in her work, her parish, and her Metropolis. In this interview Abby shares highlights of their parish experience in the first year as one of twelve pilot parishes chosen to work toward an accessible divine liturgy for children with disabilities through the OBOA initiative. St John's has been doing the holy work of making a way of belonging for families with disabilities for decades, and a few years ago established a high support needs Sunday School class. If you are interested in improving accessibility in your church community, St John's is a forerunner worth following.

People in this episode

Hosts: Kerry Pappas, Melanie DiStefano

Guest: Abby Vlahos

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: On Behalf of All, St John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, Metropolis

Places: Des Plaines, Illinois

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